By Sean O'grady and George Stark For Dailymail.com
Published: 11:50 EDT, 3 May 2022 | Updated: 15:25 EDT, 3 May 2022
Kim Kardashian struggled to climb the stairs in a pair of towering heels as she made her grand entrance at the Met Gala in New York City on Monday.
The reality star, 41, who attended the gala with her boyfriend Pete Davidson was the talk of this year's event as she donned the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore to sing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
The petite star, who stands at a petite 5ft2 in comparison to Monroe's 5ft5 stature, added height to her frame with a pair of sky-high heels which proved difficult for her to walk in as she went upstairs towards the main entrance.
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Outfit: Kim Kardashian struggled to climb the stairs in a pair of towering heels as she made her grand entrance at the Met Gala in New York City on Monday
Kim wrapped an arm around Pete, who looked dapper in a black suit and matching sunglasses, as she posed for the cameras.
Squeezing her famous curves into the historic frock was no easy feat, as the businesswoman revealed she forced herself to lose 16lbs in just three weeks in order to make it the iconic garment fit.
Marilyn's glittering beaded gown was designed by Jean Louis, and has been on display at Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum in Orlando, FL, after they bought it from Julien's Auction for $4.81million.
'This is Marilyn Monroe's dress. It's sixty years old,' Kim told LaLa Anthony on the red carpet. 'I had this idea to put it on and try it on. They came with armed guards and gloves. I tried it on and it didn't fit me. I had to lose 16lbs.'
Breathtaking: The reality star, 41, who attended the gala with her boyfriend Pete Davidson was the talk of this year's event as she donned the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore to sing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in 1962
Iconic: Of the dress, Kim said: 'I was determined to fit into it. I did it. I dyed my hair blonde. I haven't eaten carbs and sugar in three weeks'
Towering: The petite star added height to her frame with a pair of sky-high heels which proved difficult for her to walk in as she went upstairs towards the main entrance
'I was determined to fit into it. I did it. I dyed my hair blonde. I haven't eaten carbs and sugar in three weeks.'
It was also revealed that Kim only wore the dress for a matter of minutes, as she changed into a replica of the dress once she had walked the red carpet, to make sure it wasn't damaged inside the Met Gala party.
Marilyn - who died at 36 from a drug overdose in 1962 - is said to have paid $1,440 for the custom piece to the designer, and it holds the record for the for the most expensive dress sold at an auction, making it one of the most expensive dresses in the world.
Marilyn: Marilyn reportedly paid $1,440 for the custom piece and in 1999, her estate sold it at an auction for over one million dollars, per Vogue; Marilyn seen during the historic moment on May 19, 1962
Iconic: Marilyn is said to have paid $1,440 for the custom piece to the designer, and it holds the record for the for the most expensive dress sold at an auction, making it one of the most expensive dresses in the world
Legend has it that the garment was so tight, Marilyn had to be sewn into the dress prior to her performance for the President.
Kim had the same struggle when she discovered the dress didn't fit her, and began to cry when she learned that the dress could not be altered.
The ex-wife of Kanye West told Vogue how she went on a ruthlessly strict diet deadline in order to slim down and wear the dress to the Met.
'I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein,' she told the outlet. 'I didn't starve myself, but I was so strict.'
Marilyn's unique hourglass figure and exact measurements have been debated for decades, but one dress maker claimed she was 5'5" tall, with a 35" bust, 22" waist, and 35" hips. Her bra size was said to be 36D.
Kim once said of her own measurements: 'I am a size 27 jeans… My measurements are 38, 26, 39. But remember I am 5'2″ and 1/2 and everyone carries their weight in different places.'
Kim is said to have left her hotel on Monday covered up in a dressing gown, and had barricades set up outside of her hotel to make sure no one saw the outfit before her red carpet appearance.
When she got to the Met Gala, there was a secret dressing room set up for her near the steps where a conservationist from Ripley's met her to help fit the dress, who was wearing special gloves.
Kim even said that she didn't wear any body makeup, as she usually would do at such an event, in order to preserve the dress.
Disciplined: Kim ensured all eyes were on her as she posed up a storm on the star-studded red carpet
Backless: A rear view showed off the other side to the historical ensemble as she posed with Pete
Attentive: SNL star Pete acted like the perfect gentleman as he stood beside his girlfriend
Not quite their debut: The loved up couple got their red carpet practice in over the weekend after attending the White House Correspondents Dinner together in Washington, D.C.
The real deal: Kim and Pete are continuing to prove that this is more than just a passing fling, and the Met Gala now marks their second red carpet event
New look: Kim also showed off her platinum blonde hair at the event, which took 14 hours according to the star
Bob Mackie Marilyn Monroe crystal embellished dress
Kim Kardashian channeled Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday Mister President" at Madison Square Garden for President John F. Kennedy in 1962 for her Met Gala look.
The blonde bombshell slipped into this archival Bob Mackie design that was especially lent to Kim for the evening from Ripley's in Orlando.
The dress features padded cone bra bodice, figure skimming sheer fabric and sparkling crystal embellishments. Click to see more from this legendary designer, or shop our edit of look-alike dresses in the carousel.
Mac Duggal embellished dress at Nordstrom
'I'm extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history,' she told Vogue. 'I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or have any risk of any damage to it.'
It was also revealed that once Kim climbed the steps at the Met, she then changed into a replica of the dress, that is also owned by Ripley's, so she could enjoy the evening without worrying about getting the garment damaged.
The Kardashians star said she had to practice walking up the stairs in preparation for wearing it at the benefit.
Classic Hollywood: Pete and Kim looked like old movie stars as they attended the 'gilded glamour' dress coded event
In a wide-ranging interview, Kim noted that the idea to wear the dress came to her in September last year.
'I thought to myself, what would I have done for the American theme if it had not been the Balenciaga look?
'What's the most American thing you can think of? And that's Marilyn Monroe,' she added.
Keeping the surprise under wraps, despite the fact it was already rumoured to be her choice of outfit, sister Kourtney Kardashian let slip earlier that Kim got ready in a 'secret dressing room' ahead of the event.
Her Marilyn moment! Kim attempted her best Monroe pout as she blew kisses at the cameras
No time waist! Kim said she had just three weeks in order slim down and squeeze her famous curves into the dress
PDA alert: Pete also gave Kim a sweet kiss once they were further inside the event
Not quite Kravis: While the couple kissed on the red carpet, they did not go any further than a sweet peck
She also revealed that it took her 14 hours to bleach her hair for the occasion.
Talking about the translucent look of the dress, that is embellished with over six thousand crystals, Kim said: 'Nowadays everyone wears sheer dresses, but back then that was not the case.'
She added: 'In a sense, it’s the original naked dress. That's why it was so shocking.'
Grateful: Kim took to her Instagram to thank Ripley's Believe It or Not! for the opportunity to wear the dress
Behind the scenes: Ripley's Believe It or Not! shared footage of the reality star trying on the dress for the first time
Tight fit: At one point, handlers are seen trying to get the dress over Kim's famous curves
Delicate: Kim revealed that the dress came with armed guards, and a representative from the museum
Stunning: The star revealed the finish look on her Instagram account
'Marilyn looked amazing and accomplished exactly what she intended to. Fox Studios would not let her wear anything too revealing in films, because of the previous nude calendar scandal.'
'And she didn't really care, because she had already been fired. Her figure was at its peak, the dress was a classic shape of fashion at the time.'
Kim's appearance was certainly a refreshing change from last year's event, where she wore a one-of-a-kind blackout Balenciaga gown that completely obscured her face.
That look divided opinion at the time, with some slamming it as 'distasteful' and comparing the outfit to a burka.
It's not the first time Kim has gone blonde, after revealing in 2018 that she bleached her hair as a wedding anniversary 'gift' to her ex-husband Kanye West back in 2018.
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A family affair: Pete and Kim posed up with Kardashian family matriarch and her boyfriend Corey Gamble
Fun night: The group spent time posing with each other before the event officially started
'Kanye's favorite is blonde, so I did it for our anniversary,' she said at the time.
She also previously bleached it three times in three weeks in 2015 for an appearance at Paris Fashion Week, and was spotted some time later with her battered locks looking frazzled as a result.
It has been a busy weekend for the mother-of-four, who took boyfriend Pete as her guest to the White House Correspondents Dinner over the weekend, making it their red carpet debut as a couple.
Interesting looks: Kim's siblings Kylie Jenner (left) and Kendall Jenner (right) made quirky appearances on the night
And the bride wore... a baseball cap: Kylie's outfit certainly shocked fans upon arrival
Dramatic: Kendall certainly made an entrance in her long flowing black gown
Kravis come through: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker couldn't resist a snogging session at the prestigious event
Golden girl: Khloe Kardashian also sizzled in a dazzling evening dress while posing at the event
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They looked stylish together as they arrived at that event on Saturday night in Washington, D.C.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, also known as the Met Gala, is considered by many as the 'Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets.'
Fashion's biggest night is traditionally held the first Monday in May to raise money for the Costume Institute in New York City, with last year's event moved to September due to the pandemic.
Their own iconic moment: Kim and Pete wowed the fashion crowds on Monday evening with their outfit choices
Rocking the red carpet: Kim shimmered in her dress on her way up the stairs to the event on Monday afternoon
This year's dress code was 'gilded glamour' to match the theme of 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion,' a continuation of last year's 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.'
Tickets for the glitzy event can reportedly cost up to $35,000 apiece, while prices for a table range from $200,000 to $300,000, with last year's bash raking in a whopping $16.4 million for the Met's Costume Institute.
Regina King, power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, and Lin-Manuel Miranda hosted this time, taking over from Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka.
It was Miranda's first time as a Met Gala co-chair (and guest) but he was originally intended to co-host the 2020 edition before the pandemic forced its cancellation.
And that's how it's done: Kim was arguably the biggest talking point of the 2022 Met Gala
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour was once again supervising the benefit as chairwoman, a position she's held since 1995. Her fellow honorary co-chairs were designer Tom Ford and Instagram head Adam Mosseri.
As usual, the sartorial theme comes from the exhibit the gala launches: 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion,' which is the second of star curator Andrew Bolton's two-part show exploring the roots of American style.
This exhibit showcases some lesser-known designers, and also some top film directors, including Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese, host King, and last year's Oscar winner Chloé Zhao.
Happy: Kim smiled as she posed for pictures while on her back to her hotel
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Bolton said eight directors will create what he called 'cinematic vignettes' in the period rooms of the American Wing of the museum.
Similar to the September event, there was 400 guests this year, lower than the pre-pandemic highs of 500-600 attendees.
The other four are Ford, the celebrated fashion designer who's also an acclaimed film director, Janicza Bravo (Zola), Julie Dash (Daughters Of The Dust) and Autumn de Wilde (who directed the Jane Austen adaptation Emma. and is also a photographer).
Fun night: Kim is pictured above in what is believed to be a replica of the Marilyn Monroe dress, after changing out of the original outfit earlier in the night
The first part of the exhibition will remain on display in the rooms of the Anna Wintour Costume Center, along with the second part, until September 5.
More than half the pieces in the opening exhibition will be rotated out and garments from designers not yet featured will go on display.
The Met Gala is a huge money-maker for the museum, and provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding.
Kim Kardashian has made some fairly dramatic statements at the annual Met Gala in New York City over the years.
During her first year at the splashy, star-studded event she had on a tight floral dress that made the most of her very pregnant belly. Later she would be seen in a gold column dress, a silver suit that made her look like a robot, a see-through lace wonder and a dress that came in so tight she had to wear a waist trainer for weeks beforehand.
Last year the star, 41, covered her face with black cloth in a shocking move as she shared she had a full face of makeup on underneath for some reason.
Here is a look back at the eight looks The Kardashians star has tried out during the most important night in fashion.
Her first time at the Met Gala was for PUNK: Chaos to Couture in 2013. She was pregnant with North and wore a floral print dress from Givenchy .
The California native said that she was not invited but rather was West's plus one. Sadly, after the gala she 'cried' because she was so insecure about everything, she had said.
'2013 Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. I was Kanye's plus one & so nervous! I didn't know anyone & I'm sure no one wanted me there lol. I did my own lipstick & the color is so off. I went home & cried after of insecurity but this is one of my fave looks now,' said the TV vet.
In 2014, Kim had on a blue strapless Lanvin outfit as Kanye had on black. The theme was Charles James: Beyond Fashion.
She said it was the first time she had been invited on her own.
'My dress was originally made of this amazing leather with metallic detailing,' Kim said earlier. 'But we decided at the last minute to redo it in blue satin.'
She wore a very sheer and sexy lace and net gown by Roberto Cavalli for the May 2015 event. Her hair was slicked back and she modeled huge earrings.
And the star posed with husband Kanye West who went with a black suit and boots.
The theme was celebrating China: Through the Looking Glass.
Kardashian tried out silver at the Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology in 2016.
She wore Balmain , a shimmery silver dress that looked like a futuristic gown with a slit up the side. Husband Kanye West was in the same designer.
She said: '2016 Olivier Rousteing for Balmain. I was back to insecure this year because I hadn't lost all of my baby weight. Big mistake to bleach the brows but Kanye looked so good this year with those blue eyes! It was super controversial that he wore denim.'
Earlier she had noted: 'I thought Balmain was the perfect choice for me and Kanye, especially. I think Kanye's look is a little bit more downplayed with the denim mixed with all the Balmain bling.'
This one in 2017 was celebrating the opening of Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between.
The Selfish author had on a white Vivienne Westwood off-the-shoulder dress with no jewelry and strappy heels.
In the bus ride to the event she had to stand up so the dress would not wrinkle and she said she was already sweating and had to use the bathroom because she was so nervous.
The daughter of Kris Jenner said, '2017 Vivienne Westwood. This was my first year going solo. I was so nervous to go by myself I almost threw up on the way & I had to pee every second.. I was FaceTiming my sisters to meet up at the top of the stairs. Vivienne made me this beautiful dress from her archive.'
Kim Kardashian attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala in 2018.
She said this gold mesh Versace dress fit her like a 'glove.'
Kardashian added, 'I knew exactly what I wanted and was most confident this year. 90's, chainmail, sexy and simple.'
Kardashian was in a wet look for Camp: Notes on Fashion in 2019.
She had to wear a waist trainer to get her midsection as small as possible to pull off this Thierry Mugler dress.
The look was supposed to be 'wet' which is why she had crystals that looked like raindrops coming off of her. Her hair also looked wet as she had oiled skin.
Kim shocked fans when she wore a head to toe black look that covered her famous face.
Later the red carpet fixture said that she was fully made up under that face sock which seemed like a lot of effort for no payoff.
Turns out, it was not her favorite move.
'I fought against it. I was like, I don’t know how I could wear the mask. Why would I want to cover my face?' she told Vogue this year.
'But Demna [Gvasalia, Balenciaga ’s creative director] and the team were like, "This is a costume gala. This is not a Vanity Fair party where everyone looks beautiful. There’s a theme and you have to wear the mask. That is the look."'
2021 - Sister Kendall Jenner, left, stole the show in GIVENCHY
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